The Darkest Light
by Koume Hoshi
Summary: When on a journey, you meet unlikely people who either want to help you or hurt you. How do you know which is which? And what happens when you get more than you bargained for? LinkxDarkLink. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter One - Rewritten

**Author's Note: This is the rewritten version of the first chapter. I changed a lot of the content to give Link and Dark Link the right amount of character. Feel free to read the first version of this chapter over again to see the differences. I would also like your feedback! Is it better? Worse? I will be taking down the original first chapter once I post the rewritten second chapter and keep that pattern up until I run out of chapters to take down. Thanks for sticking with the story and sorry for the wait! Please enjoy.**

Link was sopping wet. What else could he have expected? With the Forest Temple being filled with Wolfos, and the Fire Temple being hotter than he could stand, why wouldn't he expect the next temple to be difficult to an extreme? It figures, since he had been so desperately needing water in the Fire Temple, he should get a whole lot of it in the Water Temple.

To say the least, he was exhausted. His arms ached from the constant use of his Hookshot, and he was shivering from the icy cool water the temple was so full of. Navi wasn't very helpful either, telling him to listen as if he had planned on doing the opposite whenever she would call.

Link just wanted to be done with this temple. He was wet, he was cold, and he was fatigued. It surely was even more troublesome with this temple having intricate mechanics and three floors, approximately twenty rooms per floor. And suddenly, monsters wanting to kill him were very used to water, so that Link had no other option but to fight or to flee. He could only hope that by every room he entered, he was getting closer and closer to the end of the temple, rather than running around in circles and changing water levels for no obvious reason.

"Link! This way!" Navi called out, flying forward and ahead of him. Link struggled to climb up the ledge of a wall to a section with large spikes and more demons waiting for his very approach. It just gave him a headache. The room itself that he was in was no help whatsoever to his current condition. It was a room designed for trial and error until you got the function of the switching crystals and dragon-looking Hookshot targets. Even better, if you fell in the water, which Link did quite a few times, you had to start all over with the entire process. And by Goddesses, don't let the monsters in the water get near you.

When he was finally able to hoist his body up on the wall, he was met with a few Tektites that weren't going to let Link pass by as easily as he would have wished. Once they were cut in half and were no longer a threat, Link was forced to Hookshot onto a higher level area surrounded my large spikes and containing a Like Like. It only frustrated him further since he couldn't get by one of those without getting sucked in and getting his shield or tunic taken, which made fighting them that much more difficult.

Once launched up to the target and dropped down to the ground, Navi could only call, "Watch out!" a second before Link was swallowed up, churned about, and spat out on the floor. He didn't need to be told that the Zora tunic he was previously wearing was stripped from his body and that his shield was also taken from his back. With agility and speed, and without replacing the tunic, he maneuvered around the Like Like, slashing quickly and efficiently and defeating it with vigor. Once it sunk to the ground and died, Link picked up his tunic and rung it out, watching as a small, but lengthy stream of water came out of it.

Delightful.

He tugged it over his head and smoothed it down his body. He reattached his belt around the fabric and re-equipped his shield over the sheath of his sword. Navi didn't say a thing and only hovered to the door that led to a whole new room in the Temple. Was he closer to the end? He hoped so.

As he entered the room, he was surprised to see it wasn't a room in the slightest. It appeared to be a vast lake bed with a small island of sand in the center. Fog was everywhere in sight, making it seem like the water could go on for miles.

Link took a tentative step forward, to test how deep the water surrounding him in every direction could be. He almost stumbled when his foot met the ground at the same height as the floor was in the last room. The water was shallow and barely reached the sole of his boots. He walked forward and finally saw that in the center of the island surrounded by sand and water, there was a tall, dark brown tree. It looked dead, for it had no leaves and only two or three branches extending towards the ceiling, or rather, the sky.

Navi flew forward and farther into the room while Link waited at the door, waiting for Navi to report back on whether she sensed anything or not. Without noticing, Link was already starting to drift farther into the room without Navi's consent or approval. Once he realized it, instead of stopping, he reached his left hand back and gripped his sword, ready should any kind of threat reveal itself.

When he reached the island, Navi had caught up to him. "I don't think there's a threat or any kind of task in this room," She told Link, moving to hide under his hat as she has grown accustomed to. "I don't sense anything or anyone."

Link began to wander around the island, surveying every detail; it's slope, the bark on the tree, an even the appearance of the sand beneath his feet. There wasn't a thing out of the ordinary that would spark any sense of hostility.

Deciding to examine the entire room, he headed somewhere west of the island and seemingly into the abyss of nowhere. However, while he was walking leisurely, he ran into something solid that felt like a wall, but looked like more fog and water. Link ran his hands over the surface, feeling it spread farther left and right. He followed it right, heading towards the north side of the room that he hadn't explored yet. Navi was also out from underneath his hat and was alert as well.

With one hand on the wall and the other poised to reach anything on him that could serve as a weapon, he reached a corner, and the beginning of a whole new wall. Link looked to the right and saw something in the distance; a something that looked an awful lot like a door!

He ran for it, hoping that there was some way to keep going through the temple instead of being stuck in this room. Much to his dismay and frustration, there was a door, but there were bars halting his entry to whatever awaited him on the other side.

He just couldn't wrap his head around the purpose of the room. It was all an illusion; the water, the sand, the island. He saw through it, but now what? What left was there to accomplish? Link grabbed hold of a bar and was contemplating leaving back the way he came in when Navi flew above his head. "Link," She said. "There's something here."

Link's hand automatically gripped his sword as he turned his body around the face the island and the other side of the room. There, right next to the tree, was a silhouette of a person just standing. They didn't move an inch.

"Where did they come from?" Navi asked. Link would have answered, but he was running through a list of possible human-like monsters it could be. Could it be a Stalfos? A ReDead? It was a long shot, but it could also be a Moblin, if you disregarded their massive size. It couldn't be human because humans don't just appear out of nowhere, and within a temple at that.

"I don't know," Link finally answered after coming up with no clue on who or what that silhouette could end up being. He risked a few steps forward, but the figure stood idly, as if it couldn't move at all. It couldn't be a monster or demon since they attack or prepare to attack if they sense danger, and it couldn't be human for obvious reasons.

He risked a few more steps forward until he was a few feet away and the fog surrounding them began to clear. The silhouette began to come to life; the monotone colors of his tunic and hat, the pale, almost gray color of his skin, and the ebony, almost black color of his hair. The dark red hue of his eyes.

He ripped The Master Sword from its sheath in alarm and almost like a mirror, the black-clad figure mimicked him. Link moved his sword in front of him defensively to see what the figure would do, but against his expectations, the mysterious man shot forward and pushed his also black copy of The Master Sword against Link's. With them being so close in proximity, Link stared into the face of the figure attacking him. The dark hair almost covering his eyes, the features that mirrored his own, and the deadly smirk played on his lips.

With a forceful shove that Link wasn't anticipating, Link was forced back and the figure jumped back with his sword poised to attack once again. When Link regained his balance, he ran forward with his sword to stab the imitation of him, but at the last moment and with a speed he'd never seen before, he leapt up, and crouched on the blade. Startled, because of the quickness of the movement and because his sword should have felt heavier but didn't, he couldn't move an inch. Dark Link raised his sword until the blade rubbed against Link's face, dangerously but carefully, before jumping backwards and resuming his earlier position.

Once Link came back to his senses, he held his sword defensively and called upon Navi. "What is he?" He asked her with a sideways glance. He didn't want to lose sight of an enemy under any circumstances.

Navi flew off of his shoulder where she was perched and floated in the air ahead of him. Under a hushed whisper, she told him, "He seems to be a dangerous and violent facsimile of you." Link looked at the copy of himself and saw that the figure smirked wider and narrowed his eyes. "I'm pretty sure, you're supposed to kill him."

Link wanted to get this over with and done, so whatever he needed to do, he would do. Yet, he couldn't seem to find the drive to kill someone who looked so much like him. It was unnerving. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't pay any attention to the figure who had raised his hands up in surrender, his sword nowhere to be seen. He took a few, slow steps forward, taking Link's silence as acceptance of him coming closer. He kept his hands up, trying to show he didn't want to fight anymore.

"Link!" Navi called, trying to get Link's attention back on the matter at hand. She hadn't seen the imitation creep forward either, but she knew they need to keep sights on the fight.

His senses rushing back to him and thinking that Navi was attempting to get him to attack, he swung his sword downwards and heading directly towards the figure. Luckily for the other fighter, he sidestepped immediately and the sword hit the water instead. Without missing a beat, the dark-haired opponent summoned his sword and stepped behind the hero, his sword at Link's neck. With his right foot, he kicked the back of Link's knee, causing the him to fall to his knees in the water, and lowered his arm, making sure he didn't accidently decapitate Link.

Link's mind was reeling from the sudden change of events. He was much better than this and he knew it. Perhaps he was simply too tired and exhausted to be in his right mind of fighting. He would have never zoned out during a fight any other time. Not to mention how scary and unsettling it was to fight someone who looked exactly like you.

"I don't want to fight you."

Link heard a voice from right behind him. He thought it was all in his head, but he felt the blade poised at his neck lifting and moving away from his throat. He blinked a couple of times before attempting to stand. He was surprised to find that there was nothing blocking his movement and realized why. The figure was standing few feet away from him, standing far enough away to see an attack coming and to be able to prepare for it.

"Why don't you want to fight?" Link asked. He was in the perfect position to kill him, yet he hadn't. As frightening a thought, he was still alive.

The strange figure shrugged, holding his hand with the sword out in front of him. Link automatically stood in a defensive position, but stopped once he saw that the sword was dissipating in the air just like bits of black sand. "It was boring."

Link was taken aback by his answer. He just got beat and his opponent was bored?

His opponent saw Link's dismay and tried to correct the misunderstanding. "I'm not being cocky. I just don't want to fight you anymore." He continued when Link's raised an eyebrow. "I'm here to kill you, but I'm not going to."

"Who are you?" Navi asked, only to have the facsimile shrug as a reply. "You don't know who you are? Do you have a name?"

"I wasn't given one."

"No?"

"No."

"Where did you come from then?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Link quietly listened to their banter, trying to figure out what they were going to do. If his opponent wasn't going to fight him and was obviously opposing his master or whoever created him, why wouldn't he help them instead? That couldn't be boring, now could it?

"Do you think you'll be able to help us?" Link called out, sheathing his sword. His copy looked at him closely and then smirked.

"What makes you think you want a nameless, soulless, demon following you around through temples? You don't even know what I'm capable of."

"We might not, but it's something for you to consider." Link countered. His copy was faster and far more skilled than he when it came down to sword fighting and if they were to become allies, he could teach Link what he knew. And perhaps Link knew something that his copy didn't and they could exchange skills.

The black-clad figure stood idly for a moment, contemplating the thought.

"What should we call you?" Navi asked. She found it silly that he didn't have a name. Even if he didn't have one, they could find a name for him. When he didn't respond, she threw out an idea. "What about Dark Link?"

Link cringed. "I don't think I'd like to have the same name. Wouldn't it get somewhat confusing?"

"Well aren't you being stingy?"

"I'm being reasonable! That's the same name, just with an adjective in front of it! I can have some say in this too, right?"

The figure interjected. "Dark is fine. You don't have to give me your name just because I look like you."

Navi and Link both nodded and Dark smirked. With a snap of his fingers, he began to disappear in a whirlwind of black sand starting at his feet and moving upwards. "Wait!" Link called out, running forward, but far enough away that the black sand wouldn't touch him. "You're leaving?"

Dark laughed in response. "What else am I supposed to do here?" The sand was at his waist.

"Are you going to help us?" He asked, watching as the sand enveloped his chest and worked its way to his neck.

"I'll think about it," Dark replied before the whirlwind of sand covered his lips and made its way to the top of his head, taking them away. The whirlwind dissipated and all that was left were a few stray grains of sand floating in the air.

Simultaneously as Dark disappeared, the fog, tree, are island began to disappear until all there was left was the water on the ground and the blue tint of the walls all around the Water Temple. Even the floors beneath the water matched the normal floors of the temple. The bars on the door at the other side of the room opened and Link walked towards it. As he opened the door though, he couldn't help but to turn around to see if Dark was still there.

Only a fewer number of sand grains remained when Link exited the room for good.

**Author's Note: How was it? Be sure to review if you have time. I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter Two - Rewritten

**A/N: **_Okay, I am so SO sorry about this chapter taking almost a year to post! I'm sure you don't want to hear my lame excuses, so I'll just get right into the story. As you might have noticed, I deleted all of the old chapters. I felt that in the way the story was going, or being rewritten, it was completely different from how I originally began to write it. Thus, there being absolutely no need to compare. Ugh. I think that I'm going to be following the same timeline as the original chapters, but with a lot more in between and with a lot more character development. Hopefully, you like it better than the originals! Thank you for sticking with me even though I'm a total ditz when it comes to actually writing something. You guys are the best! uwu_

_Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I really hope you guys like it!_

* * *

It felt like hours before Dark's body was able to reform. And of course, it would settle itself in the grassland outside of Lake Hylia. Since the freezing of Zora's Fountain, the temperature dropped significantly, and it affected anywhere within a 50 mile radius. People rarely visited the lake when the sun set because the change was immediate. Hell, people rarely visited the lake because of the distance away from everything else.

That's why Dark wasn't surprised to find himself alone, watching the very last grains of sand gather to form the toe of his right boot. As usual, there wasn't enough sand to fully fill in the shape, and as a result, there was a large, gaping hole, leaving a few of his toes uncovered.

"Oh, just great," he grumbled, rolling his eyes. He drew his right leg up, yanked the boot off, and made it dissipate into nothing. A few grains were left behind and his expression turned into a scowl.

Dark hated the sand. Sure, it was convenient to move from one place to the next, but when it left itself behind, he'd find that he was missing important parts. He once teleported to Hyrule Castle and somehow, he reformed without lungs. With quick thinking, he was able to magically conjure a new pair before suffocating. There were always other instances, but never as fatal or serious.

He sat himself down in the cold grass and rested his head on his knees. Dark's toes began to ache from losing feeling thanks to the freezing temperature, but he ignored it.

What was he doing? Had he even been thinking? To let the hero go so easily?

He had been in there too long.

When Dark was first created, he was nothing but a hollow puppet; exactly the way Ganondorf wanted and needed him to be. In that state, he did as he was told - killing, pillaging, and other unforgivable acts. He lead monsters into the temples, killing all of those who desperately tried to protect it and keep it sacred. He conjured and created demons whose powers, and desire for bloodshed, were immeasurable. It was no surprise that when Ganondorf sent him to lie in wait of the hero within the Water Temple, he began to see things more clearly and for what they were.

And it was then, that the nightmares began.

Faces of the dead that were eliminated by the blade of his sword came to haunt him endlessly. The room that was meant to be a battlefield, instead, appeared more to be a prison. They filtered into his tired consciousness, lying in tall grass, eyes unseeing, limbs numb; shrouded in the flames of lava, mouth agape; frozen in ice, arms reaching out to prevent their impending demise.

It would have driven any man mad, but he's not a man, is he?

He is a monster; without will, without mind, and without future. He was created to serve one purpose, and one only. To serve, to obey, to destroy, and to kill.

Yet, when Link first opened the door to the room, his effect on the poor shadow was immediate. The air was expelled from his lungs, his fingers shook, and it took him a moment to reveal himself. Nothing was running through is head and words were unable to fall from his lips.

Ganondorf never prepared him for this. Years of looking at his reflection in the water's surface never came close to seeing the hero in person. He knew, always knew, that he was modeled after him, but he didn't expect to be a mere copy of him. Of another living person.

Of a hero.

The fighting came all too soon. The entire time, his body was on autopilot, having been trained by his master the very same way. Attack here, dodge there; there was no need to use his mind. Rather, his mind was lost within a loop. Ganondorf. Purpose. Hero. Ganondorf. Purpose. Hero.

He couldn't kill him. The faces from the nightmares appeared in his mind; dead, open eyes and gaping mouths. The terror, the pain, unrelenting. He'd have to see the very same face upon the hero, upon his own face. A hollowness formed in his chest and that's what broke the loop that kept him in his head.

Without thought, he had leapt on the surface of Link's sword, catching him completely off guard, and had pushed his own blade against his cheek. The gray steel reflected both of their faces and he felt it. He felt the fact in his mind connect.

He couldn't kill the hero for Ganondorf.

Even sitting under the light of the moon on the cold grass, he couldn't comprehend the weight of his decision. It seemed only yesterday that he was obeying orders without a thought that something could be wrong, and now he was defying them without knowing the reason why.

Dark had no idea which one was worse.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly as it rose and the air was as warm and delightful when Link was transported back to Lake Hylia. He took in a deep breath of the fresh air and realized he would never take it for granted ever again. Air or the sun. Inhaling the damp, stagnant air not only made him feel sick, but the constant cold and incessant shivers caused more than a few close calls when fighting in the temple. Instead of the dreary surroundings, the sun was providing him with warmth that spread throughout his body and even soothed some of the exhaustion from his tired muscles.

The first thing Link did when he stepped foot on the grass of the island he was on was to remove all of his weapons and everything else he was carrying. He set his sword and shield down in the grass along with his hammer, bow and arrows, and other necessary items. He lifted his arms towards the sky in a big stretch and felt the tension leave his body, replacing it with heat and strength.

"What took so long? I've been here for hours."

Link must have jumped a mile, shoulders hiked up to his ears in fright. The voice took him by surprise and completely off guard. It wasn't a voice he was able to recognize, so he knelt down, within arm's reach of his sword in the grass, and looked around the lake bed and surveyed the small islands. Even Navi revealed herself, a bright blue light appearing beneath his green hat. When he glanced up and towards the tree, he saw Dark crouched on a high branch, his arms resting on his thighs. He had the same smirk on his face as the last time Link saw him. He narrowed his eyes and stood once more, still on edge, but without the need to attack immediately. "Well, I was busy scavenging a temple and fighting bosses. I apologize if that takes more than five minutes, _Your Highness_." Link turned away and continued to stretch as Dark laughed at his comment.

Dark just watched Link as he moved, taking note of just how similar they were. He knew that he was an imitation of the hero, but seeing it in person, being able to tell the differences first hand, was fascinating. Link was far more graceful in the way he moved than he was; languid and natural while Dark was abrasive and calculating with his movements. Of course, what came naturally to Dark didn't exactly show in Link. Dark was laid back and easy going while the hero was timid, alert. It was as if they were complete opposites, yet exactly the same.

After a few moments of elongated silence as Link relaxed his limbs and Dark remained in the tree, Dark grew bored. He'd never been able to stay in one place for a while. Dark always found himself drifting from one place to the next in a hurried effort to keep himself busy. Which is practically the reason he sat here, resting by the marker, waiting for Link to reappear. He rested his hands on the branch supporting him and dropped his feet, his legs dangling towards the ground. He sighed and flexed his fingers. He was getting restless with every passing second.

"Do you know where you're headed next?" Dark asked, observing Link still. How many muscles did one person have? Link followed the motions of some weird, intricate movements. Why was he just standing there? Shouldn't he be doing hero-esque things? He only sat himself in wait of the hero for that very reason.

Before Link could answer, Dark leapt from the branch and landed on the balls of his feet in the soft grass. He passed Link and went straight for his weapons. Link couldn't help but tense and be alert in case he decided to attack. He should at least be prepared.

Dark picked up the hero's bow and gripped it like a sword. He swung it gently and eyed the strange string-like attachment. He raised a finger tentatively and pulled at it, flinching and dropping the bow in surprise when it snapped back at him. Link couldn't suppress his laughter at the sight and earned himself a stiff glare. "What do you need all of these contraptions for anyway?" Dark asked, cautiously eying the other strange looking weapons before him.

Link stopped and exhaled, the tension leaving his body as he bent down, lifting the Megaton Hammer with ease. Dark took a step back quickly as Link swung the hammer down, striking the island with great force. Dark's eyes lit up with childish excitement and he stepped forward to where he previously was when Link stood from his crouched position from the force of the blow. He held out his hand. "Can I try?"

When Link nodded, he smiled and picked it up from the ground. He turned it around in his hands experimentally - it was heavy, but it wasn't something he couldn't handle. Without warning, he swung it downwards, away from Link, and it hit the ground with an ominous smack. Dark exhaled heavily, drowning in excitement, when there were a great number of cracks emanating from the island.

With a deep crunch, the edge of the island, where Dark was standing, collapsed, falling to the water, and taking Dark with it. Link could only watch as a startled Dark was ripped from view. Navi, herself, even appeared from under his hat at the loud splash and the strangled cry was drowned out by the water. Luckily, his Megaton Hammer landed on a safe, not crumbling, part of the island, next to the edge.

As Link approached the collapsing part of the island, an amused smirk playing at his lips, dark hair erupted from the surface of the water. "Goddesses!" He cried, holding onto a stray root exposed from the falling dirt with one hand, and the other pushing his wet hair from his face. He peered up at his the hero through dark eyelashes. "Is this what that..." He trailed off, a frown covering his features. "That, iron thing on a stick, is made for? Breaking off chunks of island?"

A small laugh escaped from his hat and Link himself was holding back chuckles. He extended his hand towards Dark and a wet palm slid into his a second later. "First of all," he started, hoisting his copy back onto the island. "It's called a Megaton Hammer, and second, it's not meant to be used to crush land."

Dark rolled his eyes and tried to peel his identical tunic from his torso. Despite his efforts, it clung back to his skin with a light smack. He deftly unbuckled his belt and tugged the tunic over his head, wringing it out between his hands. He scowled at the stream of water that poured from his clothing and Link laughed, knowing the feeling all too well. Dark glanced up and glared at him. "Yeah, well your _Megaton Hammer_ sucks." He replied, sarcasm and spite as emphasis in the way he repeated the name, showing his clear dislike for the object. He pulled the wet tunic back over his lithe body and wore an expression of obvious discomfort. "Along with all of your other contraptions."

Link bent down and gathered the rest of his weapons, putting them all back in their rightful place on his belt. Dark silently watched and raised an eyebrow when he stood up again. "What are you doing?"

"Since you brought up where I was going next earlier," he answered, adjusting his shield behind him. "I noticed I was running low on arrows and I could stock up on a couple of potions in Kakariko." He began to walk towards the bridge to the mainland. Dark made a face and slowly followed unconsciously. Navi emerged from Link's hat for good this time, eyeing his copy suspiciously and warily.

It had been a while since Dark had visited Kakariko. It somehow wormed its way into his daily activities when he grew bored and tired of the same grassy fields of the land or the sandy desert prison of the Gerudo Desert. Though when Dark first begun visiting the remote mountain town, it was slightly desolate and barely populated with a few stragglers and travelers. Of course, once Hyrule Town was attacked and the castle taken siege by Ganondorf, all of the surviving Hylians fled to the town, filling it to the brim with shops and merriment. Although most of the original occupants of the town felt bombarded and slightly inconvenienced, it never failed to amuse him as he watched over the town from the cliffs of the mountain whenever he made the trip down there.

The wood creaked beneath their feet and Dark glanced down at the water exposed between the weathered planks of timber. He scowled and walked along in a grumpy mood, trying desperately to ignore the fact that he was still sopping wet from his fall into the lake earlier. _Damn Iron-Thing-On-A-Stick_, he thought defiantly to himself.

Once they crossed the second bridge and the laboratory came into clear view, Link stopped abruptly. Dark watched curiously as he rummaged in his pockets and retrieved a light blue and odd shaped object from inside of his tunic. He brought an oblong part of it to his lips and took a deep breath, blowing in the object and creating a high pitched sound. He stepped back, startled, but was pleasantly surprised when a light, but loud melody graced his ears. Apparently the object was some sort of musical instrument and he was instantly transfixed.

When the delicate sounds ceased and Link placed the instrument back in his tunic, Dark spoke up. "What was that?" He asked, eyes bright with wonder and amazement. Sure, he had heard music from festivals in town, but never like what Link had just played. The townspeople made habit of strumming their colorful guitars and blowing joyful notes into their wooden flutes while others tapped their palms on the bongos.

The blonde chuckled and looked over his shoulder. He placed a finger to his lips and began to walk forward, strides lengthening and speed increasing. Dark was about to follow in curiosity, but along with Link's light footsteps in the greenery came another set - a lot heavier and frequent. Dark recognized them immediately.

Many travelers would ride upon large, beige and sometimes black horses when reaching Kakariko. While they didn't seem too menacing, he was in the town often enough to witness plenty of unfortunate accidents involving them and their temperamental nature.

Epona rode quickly through the grass and reached her owner in a matter of seconds; neighing and breathing happily. Her dark mane was lighter in the afternoon sun, her tail whipping gently in the breeze. Dark stood there, in the shadows of the laboratory, in awe of everything that just transpired. Link just played a song on some seemingly magical instrument that called his horse. He watched as the horse nuzzled its face into Link's awaiting hands in recognition.

"Dark," Link spoke, taking Dark's attention from the horse. "Come and meet my horse, Epona."

He took a deep and steadying breath before taking a few steps forwards. Hesitantly, he and Epona stared at each other; Dark's gaze filled with barely contained fright and Epona's with slight amusement. Granted, this was Dark's first encounter with a horse. He'd never been in such close proximity before and even that thought alone caused him to be apprehensive.

Yet all was well! Epona greeted Dark the same as she would greet her owner; with a light graze of the nose. By the time Dark looked around for where Link had gone, he was surprised to see that Link was already mounted on the saddle, hand outstretched for Dark to take.

While he was placing his feet in the spurs to mount Epona, Link was already grabbing the rope and whipping it in front of him, making Epona lurch forward. Dark had just settled when he was thrown forwards, cheek slamming into Link's hard shoulder, and they were both nearly tossed off of the front of the horse as a result.

Link, clearly startled by his own actions for once, dropped the reigns and steadied himself. He was slightly hunched forward from Dark's weight on his back and as soon as he felt the weight lifted, he sat up straight, looking over his shoulder to check on his copy's condition. "Sorry!" He called. "I forgot I was riding with someone else! Are you alright?"

Dark grunted and sighed, feeling his heart rate revert back to its normal pace. He truly believed he was about to die as soon as he was thrust ahead. He tenderly reached up to stroke his soon-to-be-bruised cheek and gave Link and affirmative nod.

More gently this time around, and after a thorough conversation with Dark about if he was ready, he whipped the reigns once more, feeling Epona begin to trot at a steady and light pace. "Alright, to Kakariko!" He exclaimed, glad to be moving at a safer pace.

With the sun dancing on the back of his tunic and his front leaning on the hero's backside, he allowed himself to close his eyes, feeling the calm rocking of Epona's steps lull him into a placid and deep sleep.


End file.
